How Social Media Affects SEO

SEO or search engine optimization is not just about keywords and ranking. It is also about off-site methods that can affect your visibility which includes social media.

In the early days, social media websites like Facebook and Twitter was about connecting with other people in the sense that it was primarily a communication tool. Today, social media is being utilized as a platform that works in conjunction with your content and SEO strategies to raise traffic.

However, Google has made it clear that being active on social media channels have no impact on organic SEO rankings. So why invest time on social media anyway?

If leveraged correctly, social media websites can help increase and maintain visitors to your websites. There are literally millions of people who use social media to follow not only their friends but celebrities and companies so that they can be the first to know if something happens.

And because everyone is on social media, your customers are going to be there too. You can use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to announce product launches or events or go on YouTube to demonstrate products. Aside from this, you can also communicate and interact with customers using social media. Using these platforms you are not only promoting content, you are also asserting yourself as an authority which is one of the factors Google looks at in their SEO rankings.

It is also good to note that Tweets are now being indexed by Google. Being on Twitter can help increase brand visibility and awareness. In other words, social media is a great way to get noticed and talked about. It has come a long way from being a tool to reconnect with old college friends.

It doesn’t matter if social media has no effect on SEO rankings. What matters is that marketers and website owners have a way to get the word out to get maximum exposure.

Marketers don’t only use social media for brand building and awareness; it is also being used for lead generation. This is all done through engaging content. It should be interesting to their target audience. Marketers should find a good balance between promotion engaging content.

Updates have the tendency to get lost in the newsfeed so offers should be something that can get customers enthusiastic. Having a strategic timetable to be able to know when to create a buzz can help your site gain more leads and customers.

As time goes by, your social marketing strategy’s strengths and weaknesses will become exposed. Make sure to take note of the good as well as the bad. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you come up with an updated strategy so that you can leverage your exposure to improve your SEO ranking. Furthermore, analysis and refinement of your strategy can help you get take advantage of one of marketing’s greatest tools.

Is your website or company on social media yet? What is your most effective social media platform in terms of lead generation? Tell us by leaving your comments below.